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after reading this thread over, i saw that recommendations varied from stones that would leave a bright mirror to stones that were only about the look, but would leave deep scratches. I think it would be really helpful if we had a better idea of exactly the kind of look, edge, finish, and edge feeling the OP was looking for. Otherwise, the recommendations are all over the place.

*i see this is partly answered, but it still depends on what kind of look one wants, and what kind of edge they are looking for at the end of the day. You can have soft and muddy that leaves a nice even mirror, or soft and muddy that leaves a nice kasumi finish. You can even find stones that leave an entirely matted finish.

after reading this thread over, i saw that recommendations varied from stones that would leave a bright mirror to stones that were only about the look, but would leave deep scratches. I think it would be really helpful if we had a better idea of exactly the kind of look, edge, finish, and edge feeling the OP was looking for. Otherwise, the recommendations are all over the place.

*i see this is partly answered, but it still depends on what kind of look one wants, and what kind of edge they are looking for at the end of the day. You can have soft and muddy that leaves a nice even mirror, or soft and muddy that leaves a nice kasumi finish. You can even find stones that leave an entirely matted finish.

Jon - Thanks for taking the time to chime in, especially while away in Japan. I'll be making a second trip there this year BTW. I plan to take in the hamono festival in Kochi if I can get the timing right.

For my original question here is the situation. I have had the same stones and pretty much the same knives for more years than I care to admit. My approach to sharpening single bevel knives is pretty much the same across the board; lowest to highest grit, making a final polish at around 6k. I took care of the unevenly ground sections on my old knives over a good amount of time and many sharpening sessions. I recently picked up a bunch of new knives and I had forgotten how unsightly those rough spots can look in contrast to a nicely polished surface. I know it isn't just me because apparently all knife enthisiasts are naturally immune to OCD. Anyway, my goal is to get a homogenous looking surface. I don't really care what the final finish looks like but I would like to preserve my 6k edge as it works well for me. I've never considered putting a finish on the overall bevel that is of a signifigantly lower grit than my cutting edge while respecting the basic principles of single bevel sharpening. Right now I'm thinking performing normal sharpening shinogi/hagane 1k&2k then using the king 800 for the 'finish' before going back at the edge with finer grit stones up to my 6k. I'll likely end up getting a higher grit muddy stone anyway but I'm curious enough about the king 800 to give it a try. I'd be interested in your thoughts.

the 800 wont refine... it just happens to use abrasives that leave a deeper color on soft steel (SIC). You will still see scratches though. Thats one of the main differences between doing it that way and using higher grit stones.

So you use the 800 to give a somewhat "darker" appearance on the soft metal, ok. But surely that can't be called a kasumi finish, right? As Jon mentioned you'll end up with too many vsible scratches to be of aesthetic value, you'd think.